Abstract
This paper investigates the effects of irrigation and plant density on the yield and water productivity of broad bean in central Italy over two growing seasons (2020–2021 and 2021–2022). The study emphasizes the role of legumes in promoting sustainable and competitive farming systems, with broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor) being a promising crop due to its low production costs and resource requirements, particularly water. Optimizing water use and increasing yield are crucial to enhancing the economic viability of broad bean cultivation. We present crop water assessments and evaluate two supplemental irrigation (SI) strategies, a machine learning - based decision support system (ML-DSS) and the crop evapotranspiration estimation approach (ETC), under three plant densities of 40, 50 and 60 plants m −1 . A simplified economic analysis based on water efficiency indicators was implemented to assess the economic profitability of SI on broad bean. Irrigation significantly increased growth and yield by 40 % on average, compared to rainfed conditions (4.54 Mg ha −1 vs. 2.71 Mg ha −1 ). No significant differences were found in yield (4.42 Mg ha −1 vs 4.66 Mg ha −1 ) and water productivity between the ETC and the ML-DSS system (7.57 vs 8.00 kg ha −1 mm −1 on average), although both irrigated treatments significantly outperformed rainfed conditions (5.27 kg ha −1 mm −1 on average). Under irrigation, higher plant density improved total yield and total yield water productivity (TYWP), particularly in the second year, marked by severe drought (from 3.21 to 4.70 Mg ha −1 , increasing from 40 to 60 plants m −2 ). Results showed that a plant density of 60 plants m −2 maximized outputs under irrigated conditions, while a plant density of 50 plants m −2 was optimal for rainfed conditions. Supplemental irrigation led to higher and more consistent yields over time. The analysis of economic profitability showed a variation between the two experimental years, with an average gross margin (GM) increase of 42 % and 27 % for irrigated treatments compared to rainfed ones. However, the high incidence of irrigation water cost (IWC) in the second year significantly reduced economic water productivity, making the irrigated treatments with low plant density economically unsustainable. • Supplemental irrigation stabilizes broad bean yields and mitigates the impact of fluctuating climatic conditions. • The average yield of broad beans with supplemental irrigation increased by 40 % compared to rainfed conditions. • This study helps enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of broad bean cultivation.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigation increased broad bean growth and yield by 40 % on average compared with rainfed conditions.
- Taxon
- broad bean
Vicia fabae0 - Treatment
- Irrigatione1
- Outcome
- growth and yielde1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 40 %e1
- Comparator
- rainfed conditionse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e1“Irrigation significantly increased growth and yield by 40 % on average, compared to rainfed conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
No significant difference in broad bean yield between the ETC and ML-DSS irrigation systems.
- Taxon
- broad beanVicia fabae0
- Treatment
- ML-DSS systeme3
- Outcome
- yielde2
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede2
- Value
- 4.42e2
- Comparator
- ETCe3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e2“No significant differences were found in yield (4.42”
e3“between the ETC and the ML-DSS system”
Claim · model-written summary
No significant difference in broad bean water productivity between the ETC and ML-DSS irrigation systems.
- Taxon
- broad beanVicia fabae0
- Treatment
- ML-DSS systeme4
- Outcome
- water productivitye4
- Direction
- no_changeinferrede4
- Value
- 7.57 vs 8.00e4
- Comparator
- ETCe4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e2“No significant differences were found in yield (4.42”
e4“water productivity between the ETC and the ML-DSS system (7.57 vs 8.00”
Claim · model-written summary
Both irrigated treatments significantly outperformed rainfed conditions in water productivity.
- Taxon
- broad beanVicia fabae0
- Treatment
- irrigated treatmentse5
- Outcome
- water productivitye4
- Direction
- outperformede5
- Value
- 5.27e5
- Comparator
- rainfed conditionse5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e4“water productivity between the ETC and the ML-DSS system (7.57 vs 8.00”
e5“both irrigated treatments significantly outperformed rainfed conditions (5.27”
Claim · model-written summary
Under irrigation, higher plant density improved broad bean total yield, particularly in the second year.
- Taxon
- broad beanVicia fabae0
- Treatment
- higher plant densitye6
- Outcome
- total yielde6
- Direction
- improvede6
- Value
- from 3.21 to 4.70e6
- Qualifier
- particularly in the second yeare6
- Setting
- Under irrigatione6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e6“Under irrigation, higher plant density improved total yield and total yield water productivity (TYWP), particularly in the second year, marked by severe drought (from 3.21 to 4.70”
Claim · model-written summary
Under irrigation, higher plant density improved broad bean total yield water productivity.
- Taxon
- broad beanVicia fabae0
- Treatment
- higher plant densitye6
- Outcome
- total yield water productivitye6
- Direction
- improvede6
- Setting
- Under irrigatione6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e6“Under irrigation, higher plant density improved total yield and total yield water productivity (TYWP), particularly in the second year, marked by severe drought (from 3.21 to 4.70”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant density of 60 plants m −2 maximized outputs under irrigated conditions.
- Taxon
- broad beanVicia fabae0
- Treatment
- plant density of 60 plants m −2e7
- Outcome
- outputse7
- Direction
- maximizede7
- Setting
- irrigated conditionse7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e7“a plant density of 60 plants m −2 maximized outputs under irrigated conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant density of 50 plants m −2 was optimal under rainfed conditions.
- Taxon
- broad beanVicia fabae0
- Treatment
- plant density of 50 plants m −2e1
- Outcome
- optimale1
- Setting
- rainfed conditionse1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e1“a plant density of 50 plants m −2 was optimal for rainfed conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
Supplemental irrigation led to higher and more consistent broad bean yields over time.
- Taxon
- broad beanVicia fabae0
- Treatment
- Supplemental irrigatione1
- Outcome
- yieldse1
- Direction
- highere1
- Qualifier
- more consistente1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e1“Supplemental irrigation led to higher and more consistent yields over time”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigated treatments increased gross margin by 42 % and 27 % compared with rainfed ones.
- Taxon
- broad beanVicia fabae0
- Treatment
- irrigated treatmentse1
- Outcome
- gross margin (GM)e1
- Direction
- increasee1
- Value
- 42 % and 27 %e1
- Comparator
- rainfed onese1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e1“an average gross margin (GM) increase of 42 % and 27 % for irrigated treatments compared to rainfed ones”
Claim · model-written summary
High irrigation water cost in the second year reduced economic water productivity.
- Taxon
- broad beanVicia fabae0
- Treatment
- high incidence of irrigation water cost (IWC)e1
- Outcome
- economic water productivitye1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Qualifier
- in the second yeare1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e1“the high incidence of irrigation water cost (IWC) in the second year significantly reduced economic water productivity”
Claim · model-written summary
Irrigated treatments with low plant density are economically unsustainable for broad bean.
- Taxon
- broad beanVicia fabae0
- Treatment
- irrigated treatments with low plant densitye1
- Outcome
- economically unsustainablee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“broad bean (Vicia faba L., var. minor)”
e1“making the irrigated treatments with low plant density economically unsustainable”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.